


Closure

by EvertheOptimistWaywardAF



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Original Character Death(s), Past Relationship(s), hunting episode, stanford college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18081485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvertheOptimistWaywardAF/pseuds/EvertheOptimistWaywardAF
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester go to Stanford University to investigate a string of horrifying deaths. Sam looks on his past at Stanford.





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of an incoherent rock song on the radio. Shadows vanishing into the night as the car drove quickly through the woods. It was late summer, and the sun hadn’t risen yet on California, leaving the beautiful landscape in darkness. It had to be two or three in the morning. Somehow the feeling of an ending was in the air like something was about to begin. Danielle Gallagher cranked the radio up, the tune becoming more distinct.   
She happily sang along to herself as the trees vanished behind her and the beautiful ocean sparkled below, the first hints of a sunrise on the way. She took a deep breath in, rolling down her window and glancing down at the rocks far below. It was time for a new beginning. She was leaving high school and her old home behind, finally. Away from the people who called her by the wrong name and told her who she had to be. She was free. She had gotten a full ride, which she was very happy about, even though she had raised the money to attend her dream school- Stanford. It was going to be amazing. 

“So, this vic? Madison Bauman? Where’d she attend?”  
“Stanford. It’s just over the bridge from here,” The cop said absentmindedly. “Who would do something like this?”   
“That’s what we’re trying to find out, Detective Decker,” Sam said quietly. He looked down at the remnants of a young woman. This was the fifth one this year. All female, all young college students from Sam’s old college, Stanford. He had dropped out to go hunt monsters a few years in, but he hadn’t forgotten his time there.   
“Just call me Rob,” The man muttered. “This would’ve been a cut and dry suicide… I mean, falling off the dorm building… seems normal… but she had those rope burns and mild frostbite too… I think that was why they called you Feds in.”   
“Don’t worry. We’re gonna do our best to solve this,” Dean said quickly. He looked up at the dorm building, noticing a girl looking back down at him. “Hey, Sam.”  
“Yeah, I see her,” Sam said quietly. She regarded them quietly. Sam waved and she blinked, not completely registering his greeting. “You think she knows something?”  
“Maybe,” Dean said. “Maybe that’s why she’s giving us that look.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sam knocked on the door. It was answered but by a different girl with curly brown hair. “What’s up?”  
“Hello, I’m Agent Scully,” Dean said, holding up his badge. “This is Agent Mulder. We’re with the FBI and we’d like to ask you a few questions.”  
The girl froze, her eyes wide. Suddenly she broke down, unable to stop laughing. “That’s hilarious. You had me for a sec. Is this a prank? Tell Dimitri that he’s gotta stop.”  
“Sorry, I know,” Dean said rolling his eyes. “Those are our real names. We’re FBI. Look at the badge.”  
“Oh… oh, I’m sorry,” She said.   
“What’s your name?”  
“Lily- Lilian- Wilson- Lilian Constance Wilson,” She said. “I’m from New Orleans. I moved here for college. Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble?”  
“No. We just want to speak to your roommate.”  
“My roommate? She’s dead,” Lily said, her eyes wide.   
“Would you describe her as having pale skin and long brown hair?”  
“Yeah,” Lily said, surprised. “What-”  
“What’s her name?”  
“Danielle Gallagher. She was the first girl to get killed. I barely knew her. We didn’t talk or anything. The police already talked to me about this,” Lily said, looking back and forth between them.   
“Are there any heating or lighting problems in your building?”  
“What?”  
“Does the temperature fluctuate?”  
“Well, it gets really hot in the summer,” Lily said. “It’s never really cold.”  
“What about flickering lights?”  
“Yeah, sometimes, but this is college, not some billionaire mansion,” Lily said.   
“Did Danielle have any friends we could talk to?”  
“Not that I know of,” Lily said. Her eyes started to turn pink. “I know she had a club she used to go to on the weekends. Like some sort of support group.”   
“Alright. Thanks, Ms. Wilson,” Dean said. 

“Hello, ma’am, can you tell me about any support group things that Danielle Gallagher attended?” Dean said ungraciously. The secretary looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.   
“I can’t release any information on-”  
“FBI.”  
“No,” She said firmly.   
“Can you tell me anything about her that might help in solving her murder and the murder of five other girls?” Dean asked. The woman pursed her lips.   
“I can tell you that I knew them all,” She said. “They all swam on the intermural speed swimming team.”   
“Thanks,” Dean smiled. He happily went to go find Sam, who had been investigating the grounds. Rather than investigating, however, Dean found Sam walking around quietly. “Sam, I found something. Mystery girl in the window was on the swim team. All the vics were.”

“Hello, I’m Agent Sam Mulder with the FBI, we’d like to interview some of the people here,” Sam said. “How many people do you have on the team?”  
“About fifteen… well, we used to.”  
“You’ve lost five people, right?”  
“Six, actually.”  
“Six?”  
“Yeah,” Coach Zeddmore said. “We’ve had a girl missing since August. When we talked to the police, they said it didn’t seem like her disappearance was relevant to the other girls’ deaths. We’re considering shutting down the team.”  
“Can you give us the girl’s name? The one who vanished in August?”  
“Sarah Robinson.”   
“Thank you… is it fine if we interview them all?”  
“Sure, go ahead.”

Danielle’s first night at Stanford was exciting. Her roommate had gone to a party and she had been left alone, for the first time in a very long time. She had shared a room with her brothers growing up and hardly had personal space. Now she laid out on her bed, tapping the keys of her brand new laptop excitedly. There was a knock at the door and she answered it happily. A nervous girl stood outside, her short brown hair hiding parts of her face.   
“Hey. I saw you moving in. You’re on your own?”  
“Yeah,” Danielle said. “I’m Danielle. What’s your name?”  
“I’m Sarah. I’m a few doors down,” She said. “I came by because I’m alone, and I wanted to be with somebody.”  
“No problem,” Danielle smiled. “Come on in.”  
Sarah walked in, looking around. She saw the posters above Danielle’s bed. “Wow, you really like the ocean, don’t you?”  
“I want to be a marine biologist,” Danielle said. “I’m going to be on the swim team this year. It’s pretty fun. You should join.”  
“Yeah- yeah, I should,” Sarah said, a faint smile forming on her lips. They sat down and talked for hours as the stars sparkled overhead.


	3. Chapter 3

“So Danielle and Sarah were friends. All of the girls knew each other, the ones who got killed. We saw Danielle after Madison died, so the likelihood that it was her was pretty high,” Dean said. “Maybe Sarah died, Danielle couldn’t deal with it so she jumped to her death.”  
“Why would she kill the other girls?” Sam asked. “And what about the rope burns?”  
“I dunno,” Dean said. “Maybe it’s just weird ghost things. I say we burn her bones and she’ll be done.”   
“Alright,” Sam said. “Jack called. He and Cas met up with Mary and Rowena, and they’re all heading back to Lebanon today. Rowena found a way to undo that Mal’iayn curse. They saved those kids.”  
“That’s great. You should’ve led with that,” Dean smiled. Sam sighed, crossing his arms as Dean wandered off to get ice. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since Stanford, how many things he had gone through. Jessica’s death… Meg Masters… the car crash… killing Azazel… Dean selling his soul… Dad… meeting Castiel, the apocalypse, the Cage, losing his soul, Cas’s betrayal, the Leviathans, the Trials… the angels falling… Gadreel… the Mark of Cain… the Darkness… Mom… Jack… It seemed like a century had passed. At Stanford, Sam had thought he had seen the worst of the world. He thought it was just monsters and that Dean and John and Bobby would always be out there to save the world. He had been wrong.   
Jack had become one of the most important things in Sam’s life but he had only been there for a second, only a few years out of all… nearly 40… how quickly things changed. Maybe this was how Castiel felt. And yet, whether or not Sam wanted it, the future was rushing toward him, the inevitable end to his story… he didn’t feel like he had wasted his life but he still wished it was better, that he had been kinder to himself. He wished he had been happier.   
Nothing could really change the impact he had on the world. Nothing could change the fact that he went to the Cage and that he would never be the same because of it, just like no action was going to stop Dean from going to Hell. It had all been unstoppable, but they had still gotten there. They had lived. They had, for the most part, retained the core of who they were, through all of it. The two of them, all this time. Or… three of them, including Cas, who had been by their side so long he was family.   
“Hey, do I have to ask again?” Dean asked. Sam snapped back into reality. Dean stood over him holding the ice bucket.   
“Sorry, what?”  
“Want water with ice?” Dean asked.   
“No, no thanks,” Sam said faintly. Dean seemed to realize it was a bad time and went off to do some research on the web.   
“Let’s get this show on the road.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Hey, Sarah! Danielle!” Allison called. “Come over here!”   
“What?” Sarah asked. It was the last week of August, a cool breeze sweeping over the hills. The girls had gone out in Madison’s car. All eight of them. Danielle sat alone on the beach, the warm sun on her skin. She had refused to take off her swim shirt despite the other girls’ pleading. The rest of them wore bikinis, showing off their tan summer stomaches.   
“Sarah, come on!” Allison said. The rest of the girls were sitting by the trees. Once Sarah sat down, Allison started happily. “Okay, so we’re gonna play a prank on Danielle. We’re going to get her to go up to the dock and then we’re gonna push her in!”  
“Why?” Sarah asked blankly.   
“Why? It’s funny!”  
“Why is that funny?” Sarah asked. Madison frowned, looking at Kate.   
“Fine, if you don’t want to do it, just don’t tell her, okay?” Allison said. “Don’t ruin it or we might have to kick you off the team, okay?”  
“You can’t do that,” Sarah said. “That’s not cool.”  
“You know all the parties that I do? You’ll never get invited again,” Allison said. Sarah blinked, her throat burning. She was suddenly on the verge of tears. “Okay. Let’s go.”  
The group of girls finally convinced Danielle up to the dock. Sarah felt a surge as she saw Allison telling Danielle to look down. “DANIELLE! DANIELLE!”  
“Hey!” Allison said angrily. Sarah rushed toward them, Danielle staring at her. Allison took the opportunity to push Danielle in. She screamed, a loud splash spraying the dock.   
“ALLISON!” Sarah cried. She pushed Allison toward the end of the dock too. Allison looked at her angrily, pushing her back. The girls cheered as Allison swung, hitting Sarah’s nose. It cracked, blood dribbling out. Sarah looked up, her eyes filled with rage. “HEY!”  
“WANNA GO?” Allison screamed, throwing another punch. Sarah ducked, taking advantage of Allison’s instability. Allison spun around, slamming Sarah down on the dock. There was another crack as her head bounced against the concrete. Allison froze.   
“Oh my God, she’s knocked out,” Kate said, looking to Allison. Allison grabbed Sarah, dragging her toward the edge. “What are you doing?”  
“Nobody says ANYTHING about this,” Allison said.  
“She’s still alive-”  
“I can’t get kicked out of Stanford. It’s all I have,” Allison said. She grabbed a nearby rope, tying Sarah’s hands together. She rolled Sarah off the dock with a light splash, her body floating away quietly. Danielle had reached the shore, turning back to see the girls standing there, watching her float away. Allison turned to see her on the beach.   
“If you mention this to anyone, I’ll KILL YOU!” Allison screamed. “Madison, come on!”   
Madison quietly followed Allison and the other girls to the car. Danielle sat down in the sand, in shock, her head between her legs. She let out a low sob. 

“Looks like the only girl who went on that lake trip in August and is still alive was Allison Welch. She’s the middle child of three, from a rich family,” Sam said. “Supposedly Sarah wasn’t there, but it makes sense.”  
“I know the case is over, but we should talk to her anyway,” Dean said. “Just in case.”  
“Yeah…” Sam said quietly. “Yeah, we should.”


	5. Chapter 5

Danielle stood by the window, watching the cars below. The window frosted up with a quiet crackle. She turned to look at Sarah, with her soaked hair and pale face. Parts of her skin were swollen from the ice… her body had been through a lot during the cold winter.   
“Don’t,” Sarah said quietly. “Please, don’t.”   
“I’m sorry,” Danielle wiped tears from her eyes, cleaning them off on her white dress. Sarah watched her, tears forming in her translucent eyes. “I can’t leave here. I can’t go home. I can’t deal with the guilt. I should’ve told somebody what Allison did.”   
“There are better ways to deal than this,” Sarah said. She stepped forward, touching Danielle’s shoulder gently. “There are better things to do. You can survive, Dannie.”   
“I’m gonna get her back,” Danielle said, her voice turning cold. “If I become like you, I can kill her too. I’ll kill them all.”  
“No, Dan-”  
“Sarah, I didn’t believe in ghosts but now you’re here. I have to believe that I can kill her.”  
“Killing her isn’t going to bring me back!” Sarah cried. “Dannie-”  
“I love you,” Danielle said quietly. She hung her feet out of the window, taking a deep breath in. The distance was frightening, but she didn’t want to go back in.   
“See you soon, Sarah,” Danielle said. She pushed off. For a second, she was floating… then reality hit her and she was regretting what she had done. There had still been a chance. She was supposed to live. She had to live. She should’ve told somebody. Why didn’t she tell somebody? They could’ve found her body- why did she- everything went black. 

A scream shook the night. Sam and Dean pushed the door open to see Allison shivering, standing next to the open window. Two ghosts stood quietly, one with translucent ropes in her hands, the other one crying.   
“STOP!” Dean yelled, raising his shotgun.   
“NO!” Danielle cried. “NO, YOU CAN’T STOP ME!”  
“Danielle, listen to them!” Sarah said. Allison screamed, running to Sam and Dean. They raised their shotguns higher.  
“I HAVE TO KILL HER!” Danielle screeched, storming toward them.   
“NO!” Sarah yelled. The force of her voice stopped Danielle in her tracks. She looked back at Sarah, blinking. She shook her head, turning back around and charging toward Sam and Dean. Sarah stomped, shaking the floor. Danielle ignored her.   
“Danielle, I won’t let you kill another person. I can’t,” Sarah said. Danielle regarded her sadly, tears starting to form in her eyes.   
“We know the truth now,” Dean said. “Allison is going to jail.”  
“What?” Allison said. Danielle looked at him sadly.   
“We called the police and gave them a tip. They’ve followed the tidal charts and they’ve figured out where her body is. They’re retrieving her.”   
“Wh- what?”  
“It’s over,” Sam said quietly. “It’s over. Let her go.”   
Danielle looked at Allison and let out a sob, burying her face in her hands. She curled up on the floor. Sarah knelt down beside her, wrapping her arms around her.   
“Let’s go, now,” Sarah said. They started to glow, floating softly toward the sky, two balls of light. They were finally gone. Allison made a break for it, but Dean grabbed her arm.   
“We’re waiting for the cops,” He said hoarsely. She looked at him angrily, tears forming in her eyes. He didn’t let go, a dark shadow crossing his face. The hunt was over.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam went alone to the apartment. He wanted a chance to see it before he left. The sun was setting, a warm breezing signaling the beginning of spring. He didn’t want to go in. He looked up. Birds flew overhead, flying North to finally return for the summer. Oddly, this felt like the end of something. The apartment had been remodeled since he had last seen it. He could see curtains through the window. The smell of new life… the smell of flowers… floated around him. It had been a long time since he had been in this place. It had been November, fourteen years ago. The night Jessica died.   
He wished he had told her. He wished he had warned her. He wished that he could’ve stopped Azazel from ever stepping foot in that apartment. He wished that it had all been a dream and that he would wake up next to her. But nothing would take it back. This pain… his pain… his nightmares… they all happened but along with those came beautiful sunrises. They came with his happy moments. They came with Jack, with spring, with time with Dean and Cas. They came with his love. His heartbreak. His closure.   
He placed the flowers down on the sidewalk. He had stood only a few feet away… fourteen years ago. Fourteen years. The number made it seem shorter than it actually was. Fourteen years. And it would be fifteen next. Sixteen after that. And he would have changed and grown. His problems back then seemed so small now. He sighed… and with that sigh, he felt closure. It was the end. It was time to say goodbye.   
One step after another, Sam walked further and further from the past. He would live with the pain. It was always a part of him, but he had survived it. He had become stronger. Lucifer was dead, even if the memory would always remain. It didn’t fade with time, none of it. Pain was just pain, and it would always reside in his mind. But it was worth it. Of course, there were bad days to come. There always would be. But now Sam was facing the bad days with his family. He would always have them in his heart. They would always stand beside him, even when they were far away. And he had to keep moving to the future.


End file.
